Procurement Notice

Development of Demonstration Companies (DMP) Project on Catalyzing Productivity through Innovation Management and Research Commercialization in State Universities and Colleges

The project aims to assist the Department of Science and Technology, MIMAROPA region (DOST-MIMAROPA), and the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in establishing model organizations in enhancing productivity through innovation management and research commercialization in state universities and colleges (SUCs).

For more details, please see the PIP and Implementation Procedures.

In the Philippines, SUCs are mandated to generate research that contributes to industry advancement and societal progress (Sarita, 2025). Yet the commercialization of research-based technologies remains a systemic challenge. Catibog (2016) observed that public R&D institutions and SUCs underperformed in protecting and commercializing agricultural innovations. This challenge is mirrored in the MIMAROPA region where major SUCs such as Occidental Mindoro State College, Palawan State University, and Western Philippines University produce strong research outputs but struggle to bring them to market. Ineffective innovation management and the absence of a commercialization culture, among others, keep promising innovations unpublished, unutilized, or expired.

This DMP project addresses these gaps by strengthening innovation management and research commercialization capabilities of the mentioned SUCs and creating replicable models of SUC-led technology commercialization.

The APO will select a team of individuals or an institution with proven expertise and experience in accordance with the requirements outlined in Annex 1 of this RFP to deliver training and consultation for this project.

Preparing and proposing the project methodology, approach, scope, etc. through close consultation with the APO Secretariat, DAP, and DOST-MIMAROPA; undertaking all necessary duties to achieve the intended output(s) as per the agreed arrangement; monitoring and evaluating the performance and progress of the productivity enhancement activities of the demonstration organizations; assisting the DAP and DOST-MIMAROPA in developing dissemination materials, organizing a dissemination event, etc. as per the agreed methodology and project timeline; submitting the report to the APO Secretariat by the deadline; assisting the demonstration organizations in acting as role models; and preparing a publication documenting the productivity journey of the demonstration organizations.

1. 1. Cover letter of interest (Annex 2).
2. 2. Basic individual or institutional resource person details (Annex 3).
3. 3. Profile of individual or institutional resource persons (maximum 1 A4-sized page).
4. 4. Experience in conducting similar projects (Annex 4).
5. 5. Financial proposal to indicate the cost of services.
6. 6. Total costs and breakdowns for conducting the project should be given only in US dollar amounts.
7. 7. All national taxes and levies applicable should be stated and included in the total costs. The APO will consider the inclusive costs as the final quoted prices when evaluating proposals.
8. 8. All rates and costs quoted in financial proposals should be written in both numeric and alphabetic forms, e.g., USD3,500.00 (three thousand five hundred US dollars).

Download: Annexes.

Proposals with all required information specified should only be sent via email in password-protected PDF file attachments signed by authorized representatives no later than 17:00 (Japan Standard Time), 14 November 2025 to sphan@apo-tokyo.org and skozuka@apo-tokyo.org.

2. The subject line of the email message should be: Proposal for Development of Demonstration Companies (DMP) Project on Catalyzing Productivity through Innovation Management and Research Commercialization in State Universities and Colleges by <Institution name>.

1. 1. The selected individual or institutional resource person(s) will be awarded a project contract with the APO for conducting the project, based on the following selection criteria:

• ・Qualifications: meeting requirements outlined in Annex 1 of this RFP
• ・Methodology
• ・Prior experience in conducting similar projects
• ・Quality of output from similar projects
• ・Project quotation

1. 2. Only the selected individual/institution will be notified via email within 1 month of the submission deadline of the acceptance of the proposal.

The APO reserves the right to annul the RFP or the vendor selection process, or to accept or reject any or all proposals in whole or part at any time without stating any reason and without incurring any liability to the affected individual/institution(s).

The APO is not obligated to respond to any objections or to inform the affected individual/institution(s) of the grounds for its decisions.

The APO also reserves the right to change the scope of work in case of need or depending upon changes in requirements before or during the implementation phase. However, if changes are made during the implementation phase, the APO will negotiate the costs for the additional work separately with the selected individual/institution.

1. 1. The APO will not bear any costs related to research, planning, design, or any other such activity related to the preparation of proposals in response to this RFP by individual or institutional resource persons for sending proposals to the APO.
2. 2. The APO may, at its own discretion, extend the submission deadline by notifying all bidders of the extension in writing. Any proposal received after the deadline will be rejected.

A prospective individual/institution requiring any clarification of this document, or the process itself, should submit queries in writing only to the following email address by the deadline of 14 November 2025:

In-country Program Division
Asian Productivity Organization (APO Secretariat)
1-24-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
Email: sphan@apo-tokyo.org and skozuka@apo-tokyo.org.